Middle East: Israeli army storms WHO warehouses in Gaza – DW – 07/22/2025
"The humanitarian situation in Gaza is disgraceful. It is a scandal that must be ended immediately," Barrot told France Inter radio.
There is "no longer any justification for the Israeli army's military operations in Gaza. It is an offensive that will exacerbate an already catastrophic situation and lead to further forced displacement, which we condemn in the strongest terms," he said.
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Barot also urged for foreign media to be allowed into Gaza.
"I demand that the free and independent press be given access to Gaza to show what is happening there and to report on it."
Foreign journalists have not been allowed to enter Gaza since the war began in 2023.
The Israeli forces stormed several WHO facilities during its latest advance in the Gaza Strip, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement on Monday.
The facilities were attacked three times, according to Ghebreyesus.
He said, "Israeli military entered the premises, forcing women and children to evacuate on foot toward Al-Mawasi amid active conflict.
"Male staff and family members were handcuffed, stripped, interrogated on the spot and screened at gunpoint. Two WHO staff and two family members were detained. Three were later released, while one staff member remains in detention."
The WHO is calling for the staff member's release.
Tedros said that the main WHO warehouse, located in Deir al-Balah, was also damaged.
"As the lead agency for health, compromising WHO's operations is crippling the entire health response in Gaza," Tedros said. "A ceasefire is not just necessary, it is overdue."
WHO stated it will remain in Deir al-Balah and continue its operations despite the attacks.
Israel's army did not initially comment on the incidents.Director General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that a WHO staff residence in Deir-al-Balah "was attacked three times."
This comes after Israel launched a ground offensive on Monday in the city in central Gaza.
On Tuesday, the French foreign minister called on Israel to allow foreign press into the enclave.
Follow along as DW brings you the latest reports, explainers and analysis on developments across the Middle East.
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